My brother is asleep at the hotel, having come back late from a date with a girl he met while participating in a free walking tour of Prague. I have an entire morning to myself, so I indulge in a personal-sized quiche and head to the city’s Jewish quarter. I marvel at the fact that much of it managed to survive both Nazi and Soviet occupation, mostly due to the gross irony that Hitler intended on using Prague’s Jewish quarter as a memorial to an extinct race. For a couple bucks I buy admission to the Pinkas Synagogue and the adjoining cemetery.

Upon the quiet whiteness of Pinkas’ walls are the names of nearly 80 000 Holocaust victims, alphabetically memorialized in careful hand-written script. Outside, generations of Bohemian Jews buried one an top of the other in a crooked little cemetery that runs metres deep. Up the stairs, one of the most haunting exhibitions I’ve even experienced.

Retrieved from two suitcases hidden by Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, Pinkas houses drawings created by some of the 15, 000 Jewish children that lived at Terezin concentration camp from 1942-1944, after being taken from their homes, and before transportation to Auschwitz. Bauhaus-trained Dicker-Brandeis operated clandestine art classes, encouraging the children to illustrate their lives before the occupation; while living in the ghetto; transportation to Terezin; life within Terezin; as well as descriptions of folklore and scenes from the Torah.

As the dwellers of Terezin were funneled into Auschwitz in 1944, Dicker-Brandeis hid some of the artwork before her own transport and eventual execution. Only 100 Terezin children survived the war, but their haunting, beautiful, and sometimes humorous illustrations offer a chilling glimpse into their short, nightmarish lives.

In 1990, the Berlin Wall was down, the Soviet occupation was over, and Czechoslovakia was finally able to enjoy freedom, growth and prosperity. So what was one of the first orders of business? Have the Rolling Stones play a concert for a population that until then, had to rely on bootleg records and pirated radio to be enjoy a little Rock n’ Roll.

Following the concert, the band chilled with newly elected president Vaclav Havel, at which point one of the Stones mentioned that it was a shame that Prague boasted a beautiful castle, but it remained unlit and thoroughly unenjoyable at night. Havel scoffed. The last thing he had the time or money to address was prettying up an intrinsic piece of the Prague skyline.

So, the Rolling Stones forked over $32, 000 to fund the lighting of the castle, which was done by the man responsible for the light show that accompanied their Voodoo Lounge Tour. And now, the Prague Castle is a stunning nighttime sight, best viewed from the shores of the Vltava River.

(special thanks to hotelclub.com for providing the night shot!)

Built in the 14th and 15th century, the Charles Bridge is the centrepiece of Historical Prague’s UNESCO World Heritage Designation. Flanked by two gun powder towers, arching over the Vltava River, the Charles Bridge is a pedestrian-only landmark where artists hock their handcrafted goods, musicians play various instruments, and people gather to behold the Old Town, the Castle, and each other.

Be sure to touch the shiny gold plaque on the statue of John of Nepomuk (a priest under Wenceslas IV who was thrown from the bridge for refusing to tell the suspicious King the confessions of the Queen) to guarantee your return to Prague.

Note: This is not John of Nepomuk, but Jesus of Nazareth. John has a ring of stars fastened above his head, and I didn’t take a photo of him because I’m dumb and apparently lack foresight.

Don’t know the best way to see Prague? Don’t have very much money? I recommend the Discover Prague Free Walking Tours.

Just meet in front of the astronomical clock daily at either 11am or 2pm and look for the guides in yellow. We participated in the Royal Walk, which is about 2.5 hours long and covers all the historical aspects of Old Prague, led by a very charismatic guide; as well as the Castle Tour, which costs about $15 (to cover the transportation to the castle itself). The tours are tips based, so the guides are charming, because they wouldn’t be paid otherwise. A great way to meet people and learn loads about an amazing city and country. Bring water.

http://www.discover-prague.com/

Prague is a great place to enjoy beer and meat and not many vegetables. Pork Knee is the Czech specialty, but my brother and I devoured goulash and lamb, respectively. My brother recommended a great place called Restaurant Mustek, featuring a traditional Czech menu and cute kinetic tables out front.

http://www.restaurantmustek.cz/new/

On a side note, the pastries of Prague tasted as if France and Germany got together, consummated their relationship, and birthed delicious, flaky  hybrid delicacies…

Tired of coming home from abroad feeling destitute?

Never fear! One of the advantages of traveling to Prague is that hotel prices are much different (read: affordable) than in more western parts of Europe. We booked with Hotwire, and prior to Prague, stayed in Rome at a 3.5 star hotel for $115/night; we got the 4.5 star Prague hotel for $73/night (including taxes, and “convenience fees”). In other words, if you’re looking to have a real bargain adventure, Prague is a great place to get inexpensive accommodations without forfeiting the chance to see a bustling European capital in relative comfort.

PS: this is a real statue in Prague that our tour guide informed us had at one point seemed like a good place for an Australian tourist to stick their head. Shockingly, it got wedged in there and had to lubricated by the fire department in order to be extracted.

I majored in both Studio Art and History, and the first thing one needs to learn is that history is bloody and gross, and artists can be clever dickheads. Nothing more poignantly illustrates this than Prague’s centre piece, the Astronomical Clock.

Built in 1410, legend has it that the city councilors were so excited about the bustling trade and commerce happening in Prague (due to the presence of the world’s most badass clock) that they had the clock maker’s tongue cut out and eyes seared with hot pokers so that he would never make a better clock elsewhere.

Not to be outdone, the clockmaker had his assistant lead him up to the top of the tower, at which time he jumped to his death by impaling himself so thoroughly on the gears that the clock stopped working…and didn’t start working again until 100 years later, when someone finally came along who was bright enough to fix the damn thing.